


Over the Deli Counter

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, Misunderstandings, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Slow Burn, Space Deli AU, alien courtship, very slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shiro has been working for the local Vrepit Sal's for years and one day he receives a notice that he's being transferred. Across the galaxy to planet Daibazaal to work for the very Galra that took over the industry on his planet, all in the name of peace for Earth.  Soon he's slicing deli meats surrounded by the very aliens that forced him there. Day in day out he deals with rude coworkers and rude customers until one day he spots an odd Galra watching him. After an encounter with him, something changes for Shiro.





	Over the Deli Counter

**Author's Note:**

> It's here! It's finally here! After month of working and wracking my brains its finally here. Thank you to everyone who was there to support me along the way. Also a extra thanks to AK, my friend and the lovely artist who created art for this story. If you haven't already seen the art please check it out!

“Bringing fresh food, and service with a smile to your galax—“

The seemingly perpetual stream of Galra Corp advertising was cut off by the clatter of the train doors shutting as Shiro started his commute to work. The train was always busy this time of day but Shiro went for the back train cars, which tended to be emptier. Shiro grabbed onto a bar to hold himself steady as the train car jolted forward. Scenery passed by as he looked out the windows, ignoring the crowd of people around him.

  
“Shiro! Over here man!”

  
The familiar voice shook him from the lull of the train, gently rocking back and forth. Shiro spotted a familiar brown head of hair through the crowd, standing and waving one arm, nearly whacking others in the head with his enthusiasm. Fellow passengers around Lace glared at him, and following Lance’s gaze, glared at Shiro himself. Shiro duck his head in embarrassment before sheepishly moving through the train car over to Lance.

  
“Lance. There’s no need to yell.” Pidge and Hunk sat on the bench next to Lance, caught up in some sort of rapid discussion, messing with the device Pidge was holding. He was no idiot when it came to tech, but Pidge and Hunk far surpassed his knowledge. Keith sat next to Hunk barely awake and resting his face on the window.

  
“Hey Shiro,” said Pidge barely glancing up from their screen. Hunk looked up at Shiro giving him a smile before turning back to Pidge’s screen. Within seconds they were both caught up in their conversation again.

  
“Shiro! How do you feel about this worker exchange program?” exclaimed Lance. He gestured wildly again, further irritating his fellow passengers. “5 People from Earth trading places permanently with 5 workers from planet Galra? This all is pretty fishy to me.” Lance crossed him arms and huffed.

  
“I agree with Lance,” said Hunk, “They already took over our industry. Why do they need to ship their people to Earth. It’s really suspicious!” The passengers on the train now gave the entire band of humans annoyed looks. But then again it could just be their faces. It’s hard to tell with Galrans. But either way Shiro didn’t want the attention and pleaded for Lance and Hunk to quiet down.

  
“Quiet down. They can hear you, you know!” Shiro harshly whispered. The Galran next to him faintly growled as Shiro got too close. Shiro backed closer to Pidge and Hunk. Ever since they had come to their new home, they had no problem in hunting down new tech to mess with. If anything it had become a coping mechanism for moving halfway across the galaxy. They had tech and Shiro, well he was yet to figure that out.

  
Lance rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “It’s not like they know were saying. How many of these people do you think know English?” A imposing Galra turned gave Lance an annoyed look before moving away from the group of humans.

  
“Lance!” Shiro hissed through his teeth. “Did not pay attention to anything we learned last week?”

  
“Hey I—"

  
“Do you not remember being implanted with universal translators? Did you not feel that little pin prick on the back of your neck?” Lance gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck in remembrance. He flinched slightly as his fingers brushed over the translator, the spot still tender.

  
“Okay, yes I remember that. What are they going to do? Fire me? I thought we were the brave new pioneers of Earth-Daibazaal exchange. How bad is it going to look on them if one of us is fired?” Lance asked smugly, giving Shiro a smirk.

  
Shiro just rolled his eyes and gently shook Keith’s shoulder, waking him from his cat nap. “Your face looks pretty odd smashed against the glass like that.”

  
Keith huffed before turning to look back out the window. Ever since Keith learned he was part of the program he had been the most eager to get to Daibazaal. But since he has arrived he had only been more aloof. Shiro hadn’t seen much of him recently. Keith was never one to open up but he wondered how Keith really felt about this Earth-Galra work exchange. How are you taking this Shiro? Any better than before? The sounds of the train faded as Shiro fell into his memory.

_“Can a representative from Deli, Floral, Pharmacy, Produce, and Backstock please come to the front?” Shiro had just finished cleaning the slicer when the announcement came over the PA._

  
_Matt walked up to Shiro and clapped him on the back. Matt had been Shiro’s friend for the longest time, he’s also the person who got Shiro the job when he really needed it. They shared an easygoing friendship, and in a job like this one it was something Shiro treasured._

  
_“Hey they should send Frank this time,” said Matt, barely holding in a laugh._

  
_“Yeah. I think it would be a great idea."_

  
_Shiro looked Matt in the eyes and he quickly broke and bent over laughing and he couldn’t stop no matter how hard he tried to hold it in. Shiro chuckled along with him. Frank really wasn’t a bad guy, he just wasn’t the brightest. The two of them stood there laughing as Hannah, Shiro’s manager came over and pulled Shiro aside. He gave Matt a worried look before following Hannah. It was uncharacteristic of her to pull him aside like this._

  
_“Hey everyone is busy right now can you head up there?” Her face was happy but there was some hidden emotion there he couldn’t place. Fear? Uncertainty?_

  
_Shiro politely agreed and Matt just gave him a nervous smile and a thumbs up .Shiro couldn’t but help but feel he was unknowingly walking to his doom. He took a deep breath and went to knock on the door of the store manager’s office. Before his fist could make contact, the door swung open to reveal Keith. He looked upset but his face clouded over when he recognized Shiro. Keith gave him a nod as he left the office, fiercely gripping a single sheet paper._

  
_“Do you know why we’ve been called here?” He grabbed Keith’s arm but Keith shrugged it off. Shiro entered the office and settled into the seat Keith had just vacated._

  
_The store manager sat there, smile plastered on her face. She was nervously thumbing a pile of papers on her desk. It must be the same paper Keith has received._

  
_“Hello Takashi, do you know why you were called here today?”_

  
_“No. I wasn’t given any details,” Shiro replied hesitantly. Something was off._

  
_“Well that’s probably for the best.” She handed Shiro one of the papers she had been messing with. “This is quite big deal after all. I still can’t believe our store was chosen! And you Takashi! To have been chosen as one of 5 people in the entire world! I can’t.....”_   
_All sound faded as Shiro read over what was written in bold ink on the top of the paper:_

  
**_Name: Takashi Shirogane_ **   
**_Age: 27_ **   
**_Current Status: Store #8308, Washington D.C, District of Colombia, USA, Earth_ **   
**_New Status: Transfer to Galra Corp Hub Store #4829, Furik, Wilikal, Zalak, Daizabaal_ **

  
_Shiro could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Diazabaal? It all made sense! Matt coming over to try to cheer him up, Hannah’s fake smile. They knew he was being shipped halfway across the universe! He sat there reading the same words over and over._

  
_“….Do you understand?”_

  
_The store manager shook him back to reality. He just mutely nodded and politely shook the hand extended to him. Something about “Congratulations”._

_He just did his best to smile and left to head directly to the bathroom. There he locked himself in a stall and sat there. Galra? Daizabaal? The world was twisting and Shiro felt numb and sick to his stomach. He had finally settled in, found his place and it was being torn away. He couldn’t speak, he physically couldn’t make his mouth move and create words. Curled up on the toilet, he sat in silence. The sounds of the people around him faded as he spiraled further and further into himself and away from everyone he loved. The world was fading and Shiro didn’t even know where he was anymore._

  
_He returned to work an hour and a half later, silent and somber. He could feel Matt’s eyes on him, hoping for a reaction, for any sort of confirmation. He could barely even meet Matt’s eyes, instead he gave him a weak smile and a reassuring pat on the back. Matt must to have known. How could he not tell him? He was angry but mostly he just felt tired. He must have looked as terrible as he felt. He could see customers whispering and pointing, giving him pitying looks. It just made him feel even worse. Shiro clocked out at the end of his shift without a word and went home. The entire night passed and the sun poked through the blinds to show Shiro, unmoving and wide awake, sitting and staring straight ahead._

  
“…..Shiro. Shiro!”

  
Shiro jolted once again. Keith stood in front of him, hand mid wave in front of his face. Shiro blinked a few times and looked around. Pidge and Hunk had packed up their project and were donning the hats they all wore as uniform. The train had emptied significantly by the time it arrived at its last stop.

  
“We’re here,” Lance said.

  
Shiro just nodded and followed the others off the train and into the employee entrance of the store. Keith hung back and pulled Shiro aside.

  
“What had you so spaced out on the train?” Keith looked worried.

  
“I was just remembering Earth. I always wanted to explore space and now look at me. A deli worker on an alien planet.” Shiro joked giving Keith a smile. “I guess life grants your wishes in unexpected ways?”

  
Keith just nodded but he didn’t look convinced. “Well I’ll see you after work today.” He gave Shiro a way and headed off to. Shiro let out a sigh of relief and tucked his forelock into his hat. He has enough to worry about. The train had long since pulled away but Shiro stood there wishing he was still on it. The station was nearly silent, all employees and passengers moving on with their day, like Shiro should be. As he walked towards the store, his steps echoed hollowly around him.

  
As he pushed open the door he spotted the others standing in a group listening to a tall Galra employee speak. He was a similar to the other Galra had seen, but his ears stood up almost like fox ears, and there was small stripe of grey in his fur. He looked young but one had to wonder, his eyes and face seemed much older. As Shiro joined the group, he spoke up.

  
“Ah you must be Takashi Shirogane, our newest deli hire. You will be working with me then. My name is Thace. Follow me I’ll show you all around before you meet your department heads.” The store had pretty much the same layout as the one back home, It was eerily similar, if you could forget all the labels written in Galran. They had all parted way and Keith mouthed a Good Luck before disappearing into the back with his manager. He just let out a shaky breath and followed after Thace who had already moved on towards the deli.  
After putting on a hair net, Shiro stood next to Thace, dwarfed by his stature.

He felt every single Galra in his immediate area starting at him. It was unnerving and he didn’t know how to read their expressions as Thace introduced him, one by one, to each of his coworkers. From the back of the department, Shiro felt an angry glare stab into his back. He glanced back and spotted a imposing Galra with a prosthetic much like his own glaring intently at him, teeth bared.  
Alien or not, that look was universal. Whoever he was, he was pissed and looked ready to rip out his throat. The galra stalked towards him and Shiro felt himself take a step back nearly colliding with Thace.

  
“Shiro?” he followed Shiro’s eyes to the approaching Galra. “Ah, Sendak have you met our newest hire—”

  
“We don’t need a weak human here. We have plenty of stronger, capable hands,” Sendak sneered, his eyes harsh and teeth in full display.

  
“Ah. Well that’s everyone.” Thace moved so he was between Sendak and Shiro and pushed Shiro towards the other, friendlier Galra. What were their names? Vex and….Rhion right?

  
Thace bent down and spoke quietly to Shiro keeping an eye on Sendak. “I’m sorry for Sendak, he’s…a bit radical in his beliefs, sadly he isn’t alone. Your best course of action is to ignore him and any others who are rude to you.” Thace excused himself and presumably went to the manager’s office to finish his work. Shiro nodded and walked back over to the slicers to begin his shift, one specific pair of eyes constantly glaring into him.

  
“When they first old us we were having humans work with I was so excited. But you’re so small!” A overexcited Galra that reminded Shiro of a hyena, suddenly stuck out his hand to Shiro and excitedly shook his hand, nearly pulling it out of socket.

  
“Uh I’m sorry?” said Shiro, gently massaging his shoulder.

  
“Oh yeah no it’s totally fine It’s kind of cool to see the difference in species! Do you need a stepstool or something? To reach things? I’m Rhion by the way!”

  
Everything was Galra height, which Shiro guess averages around six and a half feet. All the counters and even the case that held the meats and cheese were nearly as tall as he was. After a moment, Shiro nodded and Rhion went off to find a stool, which he then placed at Shiro’s feet. Shiro responded with a awkward smile; he felt like a toddler who couldn’t reach the kitchen counter.  
The job itself was not much different than on Earth. The slicers looked and worked pretty much the same, despite the Galran lettering. He was able to figure out relatively what the symbols were referring to, though he was hesitant to try them out. However, Thace quickly put him to work until the clock struck 4 and his shift was over. He let out a sigh of relief, it meant not more daggers in him back from Sendak and no more confusing alien foods to deal with. There was one food that he couldn’t pronounce the name of but it looked like a tulip flower bud, yet had the density and weight of a turkey. He couldn’t figure out how to cut it for the life of him, until Thace came over and showed him how to with a frustrated huff.

  
And all throughout his shift he felt the gaze of a oddly light colored Galra gazing at him. Most Galra had a covering a darker purple fur, unlike the lilac fur this stranger had. Curious gazes were not something he found odd, considering it seemed every passerby wanted a look at the new Deli worker. Shiro even caught glances of Hunk being mobbed as he restocked the shelves with weird produce. But there was something different in this stranger’s gaze. It wasn’t quite curiosity, it felt almost like he was being studied. But Shiro felt himself gazing back, there was something that drew him to the stranger who just kept slowly blinking at him. He found out later from Thace the Galra’s name was Ulaz.

 

* * *

 

 

“Shiro! My man, how was your shift?” called Lance as Shiro arrived at the train platform. All the other humans looked up at him with a tired smiles.

  
“I think I already made an enemy.” Shiro said pulling off his hat and throwing it in his bag.

  
“No way? What did you do?”

  
“That’s the thing, I don’t know.”

  
“Sounds like it’s their problem not yours. They should worry more about their own furry asses,” spat Keith. “Probably just some asshole who can’t be accepting of others. I’ve met some Galra like that.”

  
“Yeah, I mean it’s bound to happen. We’re the aliens here,” piped in Pidge. “I had so many Galra who refused to even let me help them.”

  
Lance laid a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it man. I treated myself the finest Galra alcohol I could find. Let’s celebrate tonight!”

  
The train pulled into the station with a screech and they pushed their way onto the crowded train car to head back to their new living quarters. It was nice to be able to talk in English and not having to rely on translators for everything, it gave his brain a break.  
The Galra on the train gave them a wide berth and Lance learned that he should probably keep the loud yelling down to a minimum. Getting off the train was a non-issue; everyone moved out of their way as they passed. Shiro tried to ignore some of the ruder comments that were muttered under people’s breaths as he passed by. Finally on the train platform, they found themselves looking up at an oddly shaped structure, which was about to become their new home.

  
“Do you think this is it? Is it safe do you think, this close to the station? The construction looks weird, what if it falls in on us?” said Hunk.

  
Keith laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Hunk, it will be fine, not to worry. You won’t be alone anyway.” They moved to the entrance and the doors slid open with a ping and they rode the lift to the 5th floor where the found their living quarters.  
Their new apartment was small and the layout was odd but it didn’t seem too different from Earth. Galra Crop even had the foresight to label everything in English for their convenience.

  
“They even have a toilet like back home!” called Lance from the bathroom.

  
All in all it was a good space and they all had separate quarters for privacy, something they were all over joyed about. Lance strode into the kitchen and rummaged around in the cupboards for glasses and poured each of them a drink, even Pidge, though they weren’t much of a drinker.

  
“To our new life! Whatever it may bring!”

  
Shiro knocked back his glass, hoping to finally be able to relax, even just for a night. He stayed up chatting with the others telling stories and trying to make sense of the alien TV. He felt normal, like maybe things could be the same. To say this new change was stressful was understated. Shiro didn’t handle change well in his life, and he found bad things always come in multiples. When he has lost him arm, he found himself out of a job and out of his home. He had fallen into a depression and found himself drinking nearly every night for weeks. Matt has really saved his ass by getting him a job and letting him couch surf for a month until he got a new place. He wasn’t a perfect person and sometimes he found himself alone with the bottle late at night, falling back into his old habits  
Tonight seemed to be one of those nights. The other humans had gone to bed but Shiro in the living room, bottle at his side staring out at the city light and the sounds of the train as it rocketed by. Even Keith who had sat up with him for much longer had moved on to bed for the night. Everything was foreign, even the booze he was drinking was alien and much stronger than anything back on Earth. It was clear Galra Corp tried to make them feel at home but they couldn’t hide the reality, that they were across the universe sitting on an alien planet. That he was utterly and truly alone.

 

* * *

 

 

Two weeks had passed and Shiro found himself falling into a rhythm. He would wake up in the morning and take the train to work, deal with customers and Sendak all day, and ride the train home with the other humans. They would eat a meal together and reminisce about their times on Earth and everything was normal. His coworker even began to trust him more, and he found himself being widely accepted by everyone, save Sendak. But he had learned to ignore him best he could by avoiding the back where Sendak stayed. The other humans noticed this change in him and he felt hi confidence grow. If he could survive losing his arm, he could survive this.  
But one thing kept bothering him. The lilac Galra still seemed to be observing him and he was fed up with it. He would make direct eye contact with the Galra only to have his gaze returned; the stranger would look him directly in the eye before slowly blinking at him. It was just another thing he would have to adjust to. On top of that, he kept being gifted strange things by overly friendly Galra. He assumed it was some sort of welcoming ritual and felt bad rejecting their gifts, but he had no use for them.

  
The first Galra to give him a gift was quite the surprise to say the least. He was all sharp angles, his features pointed and defined. He was slender by Galra standards but he looked lithe and agile and extremely deadly. Shiro had felt that galra had intended to harm him, considering the amount of glares he received on a normal work day. The Galra showed off his claws as he ordered and waited with a wide smile, showing off his needle like fangs. Shiro quickly worked through his order and bid him good day but not before the Galra had handed him what looked like a claw. It was long and scythe like, the tip ending in a needle like point, He had politely turned him down and the Galra bowed, tersely thanked him, and left. Accepting such a gift and handling it at work had to be some sort of alien health code violation.

  
Not three days alter another customer came bearing gifts. Quite the opposite from Claw Guy this Galra was all muscle. He easily leaned over the counter and Shiro got a up close and personal whiff of his musk. Shiro nearly gagged. Not only that but his voice carried like a thunder clap as he boasted over his hunting prowess and his incredible strength to anyone within earshot. Shiro caught him flexing every time he glanced over.

  
“Here you are sir, have a nice day and come and see us again here at Vrepit Sal’s!” Shiro had handed over the customer’s order only to have his hand roughly grabbed and his body nearly pulled over the counter.

  
“Human! Please take this gift!” Shiro then felt something placed into his hand and looked down to find a sharp, curved blade in his hand. The handle seemed to be ornately sculpted, each turn of metal flawless.

  
With a decent amount of effort, he had hurriedly pulled free and placed the knife on the counter in front of him and apologized. The Galra huffed angrily and snatched the knife back and nearly ran over the other customers as he stalked off. Shiro had turned back to his work, and he thought he heard some chuckling around him. Everyone knew something he didn’t and it left him on edge. He snapped at Rhion later that day and everyone gave him a wide berth. Yet he glanced over, and there was that Galra giving him the same slow blink he always did. Shiro looked away.

  
Shiro had had enough when the third Galra had come bearing gifts. What Shiro assumed was the Galra equivalent of a pompous aristocrat had visited him not even a week later. His fur was pristine and smooth, seeming to shine in the light, not a hair out of place. His demeanor radiated pride and arrogance as he walked to the front of the crowd and the very front of the line, paying no mind as others protested. The angle at which he inclined his head came across as ‘I don’t have time for any of you.’ He rattled off his order, making direct eye contact with Shiro and brushed a hand through his fur as he waited. Shiro could feel one more pair of eyes than usual on his back as he worked.

  
“Please dearest human accept this gift.” The pompous galra bowed and held up a bright green and pink flower that seemed to be faintly pulsating, like it contained something alive inside it’s bloom. “It is a flower I have cultivated with my owns hands, please accept it.”  
Shiro moved a hand towards the flower only to quickly pull it back as the flower reached for him as well, a tentacle like appendage appearing from inside the bloom.

  
“I-I’m sorry sir, I cannot have such an item here.” He bowed politely and looked to help the next customer.

  
“Please dearest human, I will wait for you after you finish your….menial tasks here.” That was the last straw for Shiro. He was just here to do his job, no matter how “menial” this galra thought it was.

  
“I’m sorry sir I cannot accept this gift. I hope you have a nice day and come and see us again.” His tone left no room for argument and the next galra in line gave him a shocked look as the spoiled galra strode off.

  
Maybe he had been a bit too curt with the customer but he didn’t have time for such foolishness. He didn’t want to lose his job because he keeps accepting gifts from random customers. If he was out of a job here, he doubt many places were hiring humans.

  
“That was the CEO’s nephew you know,” said a customer as Shiro handed them their order and a brick sized pit formed in his stomach.

  
“I see. Have a nice day and come and see us again.”

  
The galra shook their head as they walked off and a hand quickly clamped down on his shoulder, and he instinctively grabbed the hand. It quickly released him and Shiro looked up to see Thace looking down at him.

  
“Shiro take your lunch, I have this covered.” Shiro nodded and pulled off his hairnet and apron and set them under the counter by the register and quickly walked to the break room.

  
All conversation stopped as he entered the break room, and he could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he moved to the fridge and clocked in for break. Every movement he made was closely watched, like prey being stalked by predators. People whispered as he sat down and despite being at a table meant for 6, the chairs around him remained vacant. The atmosphere was tense as he sat down and he opened his lunch, whispers floating through the air around him.

  
Galra Corp has stocked their fridge with food deemed safe for human consumption and had lunches already prepared for them as they left for their shifts. It felt like a parent packing a lunch for their child, without the motherly care. He opened the lid to his lunch and, like always, found a mess of alien food and began to eat, the taste decidedly unhuman. There was one piece of food tucked in the corner that shared the density and weight of an apple, the coloring of a banana, and the shape of an eggplant that he eyed suspiciously.

  
“Hey if you’re not going to eat that sehgur I will.” As he ate, a voice spoke up behind him and Rhion pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.

  
“Uh sure. I’m not very hungry.” He picked up the palm sized fruit (?) and handed it to him. Rhion carefully handled it, avoiding using his claws and popped the whole thing in his mouth.

  
“Ah you’re lucky, I love these things. The key is to eat it all in one bite so you don’t get the juice all over you.” Rhion licked his lips and cleared the skin from between his teeth. “Oh hey, I heard you told off Zarkon’s nephew. You must be one brave human.”

  
The atmosphere in the room changed as everyone seemed to be listening even closer to their conversation. Rhion had said what was already on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Shiro leaned a little closer to Rhion as he spoke, not enjoying the extra attention.

  
“I didn’t know, all these Galra keep handing me weird gifts. I can’t accept them!” He whispered.

  
“Dude….” Rhion gave him a look and he didn’t know what to make of it. It looked like a combination of surprise and disappointment.  
Shiro glanced at the clock and quickly packed up his food and went to clock back in. Rhion continued to look at him funny as he threw his food in the trash and tied his hair back up to go to work. He could the voices behind pick up again, this time more fervent. He just sighed as he walked down the stairs and Thace flagged him down as soon as he had tied on his apron.

  
“Shiro we have received a catering request and Ulaz has requested you and I personally. This is a special event and we were given specific instructions on dress and manner.” Shiro nodded mutely as Thace handed him a uniform, the idea of a special event leaving a bad taste in his mouth. His mind raced as he realized maybe Ulaz had been watching him for the higher ups of Galra Corp and now he was to be tested at this event. And if he screwed up he could lose his job, possibly even his life. Thace raised an eyebrow at him but he shook his head and headed back to work.

 

* * *

 

  
“Thace, I don’t understand. He doesn’t want gifts, he’s not responding to my advances, and I don’t know else I can do.” Ulaz stood looking out the window over the capital city a glass in his hand, his reflection looking back at him in the glass. Thace sat on the couch a glass similarly cradled in his hand.

  
“What I don’t understand is, despite beginning at the same place, how you get promoted to an executive position and the most I get is assistant deli manager and a small pay raise,” Thace huffed as he took a sip of his drink.

  
“It’s that grumpy attitude of yours. You dare talk to Zarkon with that mouth and you would be on a one way trip to Gerlast.” Thace just rolled his eyes and joined Ulaz by the window as the city bustled far beneath them.

  
“I don’t see why you’re so interested in Shiro. You’ve seen him turn down every offer, even Wolak. And Wolak is one of the most desirable mates there is. Maybe he’s not interested in mates, you barely understand him an his culture. Why not the burly one working in produce? Or the moody one in the back?”

  
“Shiro’s just…so human. There’s something about him, his strength and determination. His arm is a sign of the tragedies that have tried to overtake him and yet failed to do so. He carries himself with pride and works with determination. It’s something I admire.”

  
Thace didn’t respond and Ulaz joined him in silence as they watched over the city, galra hustling around below them and Shiro far away lying awake in his bed. From where they stood the city seemed cold and impersonal, a husk of what it used to be, before Galra Corp took control. What used to be clear skies were filled with pollution from industry and billboards advertising Galra Crop products, the spokespeople smiles eerie.

  
“This program has changed so much from what I imagined Thace. I wish it could all have been different. This isn’t what I wanted, this isn’t what we need.” Thace silently placed a comforting hand on Ulaz’s shoulder.

 

* * *

 

  
The dim lights were hard to adjust to as Shiro pushed open the door to the dining room. The room itself was lit with a faint purple hue. The decorations were minimal no doubt to accent the table itself, which was the focus of the room. Around its face sat a number of Galra, who were highly ranked and the highest ranking of them all, CEO Zarkon, sat at the head of the table. When Ulaz had mentioned catering a small business meeting, Shiro hadn’t expected the CEO of the company to be in attendance. Ulaz sat nearby and he gave Shiro a small smile and a nod before turning back to listen to Zarkon, who eyed Shiro with a look of dissatisfaction before speaking again.

  
“I hope these furless creatures don’t cause a fuss. This exchange was pointless in the first place but Earth wouldn’t agree to the merger without it.” Zarkon purposely waved down Thace to refill his plate and glass despite Shiro being closer. “I should send them away elsewhere, lie to Earth about their status. These aliens are worth far less money and effort than the Galra workers we sent.”

  
Shiro was enraged, but years of working in customer service taught him to hide his true emotions behind a mask of happiness. These galra, these monsters, were the ones who stole him from his homeland and forced him to work here. Forced him to stand here and smile as he poured drinks into the glasses of those who spat negative and false words about his home. About him. He grip on the pitcher tightened as he saw many faces around the table nodded along with Zarkon.

  
“Sir, I agree with you wholeheartedly, however they seem to be quite the hardworking creatures based on their coworkers reports. Losing them could impact our sales in this store, considering it’s out most profitable location,” said a petite Galra sitting at the other end of the table.

  
“Sir, if I may.” Ulaz finally spoke up for the first time during the meal, having preferred to listen with a cool indifference. “I think these humans have a lot to give and will be a positive benefit on our industry and its expansion. This agreement we made could benefit us. If we took the humans out of the store and involved them with the Earth expansion it could be beneficial.” There seemed to be some sort of pointed undertone in his words.

 

Zarkon looked disgruntled and swirled around his drink before speaking up. “You may have a point Ulaz. Thank you.”

  
Ulaz simply nodded and took another sip of his drink, subtly eyeing Zarkon watching for further reaction. Is Ulaz that high in the company that he can go against the CEO so directly? Shiro glanced back at Ulaz and ended up staring directly into his bright yellow eyes. Ulaz grinned behind his glass, just for Shiro, before joining in on the meeting. They discussed sales, profit margins, and marketing; all things Shiro thought he left behind when he switched from business in college.

  
Shiro originally had gone into business, mostly for the practicality, when he first started at college. Sleepless night after sleepless night passed and he still didn’t understand his material and he was working 2 jobs on top of it all to help pay. On the outside he was a normal student, but on the inside he was inches from collapsing every day. After suffering through nearly 2 years of grueling schoolwork and paying nearly all his savings, he had dropped school and joined the military. He held so many regrets in his life and they swirled around in his head when he went to bed each night and trying to find the catalyst for it all left him at a loss. He moved about filling glasses and plates in a haze until a sharp voice called out to him, cutting through the dreary haze.

  
He jerked his arm and heard a gasp from everyone in attendance, his eyes taking in the situation. He had been holding a full pitcher and he had just overfilled Ulaz’s glass. The table cloth was stained a deep red and as were Ulaz’s clothes. The room was silent until the slide of Ulaz’s chair broke it and Shiro was grabbed by the wrist and dragged into the kitchen. Thace quickly covered his mouth before he could protest.

  
“Shiro,” he hissed, “Do you realize you could have just lost us both our jobs?” Thace looked more angry than Shiro has ever seen him.  
“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize! Ulaz doesn’t seem like he was mad.”

  
Thace rubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath and responded evenly. “It’s not Ulaz you’re worried about, it’s CEO Zarkon you need to worry about. If you would have pulled that stunt on him you would be on a vacation to Gerlast.” Shiro didn’t have a moment to ask what that meant (it didn’t sounds pleasant) when Ulaz came in the kitchen. Shiro turned and nodded his head in greeting.

  
“Mr. Ulaz, I apologize for the mess earlier.” He bowed like Thace showed him only to hear both Galra snicker. He quickly straightened up a look of confusion on his face. Ulaz’s eyes were filled with mirth and Thace just turned away with a huff.

  
“No need to worry about the formalities when it’s just us. I can’t imagine the day Thace would ever bow to me like that,” Ulaz joked.

  
“Every time I’m forced to bow to you, I’d rather be flipping you off.”

  
“I expect nothing less. Now Shirogane let’s get you cleaned up.”

  
Shiro looked down at his legs. He hadn’t realized he had spilt wine on himself. He scrubbed at it, only further grounding the stain into the fabric. “I think it’s fine.”

  
“Nonsense, no one should serve Zarkon like that. He’s rather….selective.”

  
“Picky you mean? Like a toddler?” injected Thace “I’m going to try to smooth things over.” He looked pointedly at Ulaz. He picked up a drink pitcher and went into the dining room, leaving Ulaz and Shiro alone.

“Follow me,” said Ulaz capturing Shiro’s hand in his own.

  
Ulaz tugged on Shiro’s hand and pulled flagged down a servant who was cleaning the front hall, wearing something similar to Shiro. “Excuse me do you have a change of clothes.” The servant simply nodded and hurriedly went off to find something for Shiro.

  
“Mr. Ulaz, I appreciate your assistance but you should return to the table. I will be out shortly.” He bowed to Ulaz, not wanting to cause the Galra more trouble.

  
“Nonsense, you’re much better company than any of those fools.” Shiro widened his eyes in surprise. “What? Did you assume I was just as uptight as them? Clearly I can see the…merits of this entire exchange.” Shiro straightened up his eyes wide.

  
“I assumed as much. Not all of us here are spoiled, conceited, and so distrustful of aliens. I was one of the main supporters of this exchange. Thought Zarkon insists on pushing into all of Earth’s markets, which I’ve been trying to advise him against. Earth has…such beauty,” Ulaz glanced over at him, “and I don’t want to see it tainted. I had hoped to bring Earthlings in as consultants, but Zarkon insisted you merely working as employees. Considers you incapable of being of value to him.”

  
“I didn’t know.”

  
“How could you? Most of these decisions regrettably have been made without your consultation. I had hoped this project to be one more of collaboration than domination, but Zarkon insisted. I apologize Shirogane.” He bowed his head nearly eye level with Shiro.

  
“I…I don’t know if I can. Not now. And it’s Shiro, no one calls me Shirogane anymore.”

  
“Shiro.” Ulaz tested the name out on his tongue, the name foreign to him. “Of course, thank you.”

  
There was some sort of understanding in the air, that they were two sides of the same coin. Ulaz was part of the reason he was here, Ulaz had pushed the exchange, Zarkon had hijacked the idea and turned it into what it was now. Ulaz was truly sorry for what had become of his originally well-meaning idea. A silence formed between them as Shiro looked at Ulaz. Ulaz looked right back at him, his eyes staring him down before slowly blinking. Shiro mirrored his actions. He assumed it held some sort of meaning, maybe as an apology. It may have been the reason Ulaz had been doing the same gesture every time they had seen each other, silently apologizing for his fate.

  
Ulaz jerked his head back in surprise before smile appeared on his face. He quickly leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Shiro’s and let out a excited purr. The fur on his face wasn’t as soft as Shiro expected but it wasn’t unpleasant against his skin. Ulaz was warm as he wrapped his arms around Shiro. He could feel the little crest of hair on Ulaz’s head tickling his head and he let out a chuckle.

  
He felt….at peace, Ulaz’s purr calming him and his eyes gently slipped closed. He hadn’t felt such peace since he had come to Diazaabal and he instinctively moved closer to Ulaz’s warmth only to feel the galra’s arms wrap closer around him. Everything around him faded, the sounds of discussion from the dining room, the clanking of dishes in the kitchen, everything. It was only him and this near stranger and his embrace, the stranger that brought him here in the first place. But there something else inside of him, some emotion he couldn’t place keeping him from pulling away at the contact.

  
Ulaz cleared his throat as the servant from before approached with a change of clothing and immediately separated himself from Shiro. He felt the loss of connection and tranquility but his mind scolded him for being so trusting. Ulaz’s face was turned from him, his posture rigid. Did Shiro do something wrong? The servant seemed to be avoiding his eyes as they handed Shiro the clothes before quickly bowing to Ulaz and scampering away.

  
“Now shall you need assistance in changing there are servants around who may help.” Ulaz said tersely. “Now if you excuse me, I must return to the table. Zarkon shall be expecting me.” Shiro watched Ulaz’s retreating back, the emotions and vulnerability from before replaced behind a cold exterior of ice and indifference. He quickly changed and returned to the kitchen to find Thace who said nothing and simply handed him a tray with the main course.

  
Ulaz’s eyes remained on Zarkon’s when he was speaking and remained on his food and his drink as he ate. He was avoiding Shiro, and he felt insulted. Pretending like everything he told Shiro never happened, pretending that he was on board with everything Zarkon said. He had no issue speaking up and undermining Zarkon before, what had changed ? Was what he did really that offensive that Ulaz couldn’t bear to look at him. Maybe it was all a façade, maybe Ulaz just wanted him to think he had someone on his side. Some sort of cruel Galra trick. Shiro continued his duties and held a friendly smile. no matter what kind response he was given. Finally, it was time for desert. He placed the unfamiliar desert in front of each guest and quickly strode back to the kitchen. He could feel Zarkon’s sneer on his back as he retreated into the kitchen for the final time that night.

  
“Despite your error, Zarkon seems he will spare you.” Thace stated as he loosened the weird neck tie of the uniform they were wearing. Shiro was informed it was considered business formal, but it felt just like someone tied a bowtie incorrectly at his neck. He followed Thace’s lead and took a deep breath that he didn’t realize he was holding.

  
“When will we need to clean up?” Thace shook his head.

  
“Zarkon has enough servants for that, and we were only requested to prepare and serve the food. I thought you would want to stay as far away from the CEO as you could.”

  
“Thank you.” Shiro quickly followed behind Thace as they walked towards the back entrance, the whispers of the servants behind him. Was what he did really all that bad? Did he just break all sorts of cultural customs by responding to Ulaz’s actions the way he did?

  
“You did a good job tonight Shiro, despite being the alien in the room.” Shiro thought Thace was making a joke but his face betrayed nothing. He glanced at Shiro, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “I can begin to see it now.” He watched the approaching train. “I’ll see you in two sun cycles.”

  
“See you then.” He raised a hand in a silent farewell as the door closed. Thace just watched him, his yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

 

* * *

 

  
When he arrived back to the apartment he found Lance and Keith sitting on the floor by the windows, passing a bottle of the stuff they were celebrating with a few weeks back. They both seemed to be intoxicated. They nodded to Shiro as he dropped his stuff by the door and joined them, silently asking for them to pass the bottle. Lance paused but Keith nodded and he handed it over.

  
“Was it that rough?” Shiro didn’t respond instead taking a sip of the drink and handing it to Keith who placed it to the side. “Today was tough for Pidge and Hunk too. They needed some alone time.”

  
Shiro simply nodded. He still felt betrayed by Ulaz, but he was trying not to let his anger get the best of him. Keith and Lance didn’t deserve to be yelled at; it was his problem, his mistake. He wasn’t going to burden them further. He felt a soft hand on his leg.

  
“Shiro you can tell us or we’ll leave if you want us to.” Keith’s face was sincere but he knew not to push Shiro if he didn’t want to share.

  
“It’s fine guys.” He gave them a tired smile. “So what were you two celebrating? Did something happen at work?” They both gave him a doubtful look, but they took one close look at him and dropped it.

  
“It’s our 2 month anniversary of our arrival here on Diazaabal. Why not try to make the best of it.” Lance held up the bottle and took another sip. “Good news alien booze leaves you with little to no hangover.” Shiro was well aware.

  
Shiro looked at him blankly. Had it really been only 2 months? Had he been working for that long, dealing with customers, learning about the food he was serving, staying out of Sendak’s way for two months. Time moved differently on Diazaabal, it seemed longer, The thought that he had missed so much time on Earth sent a pang of sadness to his heart. He missed Earth. Earth was easy, Earth was home.

“Two months huh?”

  
He reached for the bottle and took another sip, his eyes not seeing the two before him. All he could see, all he could think about, was Ulaz. He really didn’t know why he cared so much, Ulaz was the reason he was here, the reason he’s working with Sendak and dealing with customers that look down on him simply because he’s not Galra. Why should he care if some high up care about him, he was alone here. The others were nice company, Keith most of all having known him the longest, but he didn’t want to share his burdens with him. Keith had been trying to deal with this in his own way, he didn’t need Shiro’s problems too.

  
“Yeah here’s to many months more of this,” said Keith raising the bottle.

  
“Here’s to many more months of rude customers and alien foods.”

  
“Here’s to many more months of weird plants and alien culture!”

  
They did an impromptu cheers and sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Shiro looking out over the city. No matter how much he looked all he could remember were the buildings back home, the bright sunlight during the day, the streetlamps forming islands of light in the dark at night. Here the sun seemed to be cloudy and overcast daily and at night the streets were dark, purple hued lights bringing little to no light. Galra had better night vision anyway and the purple lights were more for effect than utility. Most of all Shiro missed late night walks. His life here consisted of him at work, and him in this apartment, and nothing else. Back home taking walks let him clear his head when he couldn’t sleep.

  
Back home, he knew the familiar streets by memory and he would count streetlamps as he walked, but here there was nothing but dimness and the unknown surrounding him. He was going stir crazy spending so much time inside and just watching the world go by. And he knew he wasn’t alone, he could see Keith glancing out the window with longing every so often. Even Hunk seemed to miss being outside. The small patch of foliage behind that building was nice but it hardly was any different than being inside. And the looks they received when they spent time outside were hard to ignore. Even the air was different, the pollution so thick some days it was hard to breathe deeply.

  
Shiro stood and stretched. “I’m going to call it a night."

“Sure thing man, goodnight.”

  
“Night Shiro.”

  
He left the two to their banter and slipped off the fancy uniform and threw it in the corner, hoping to never see it again. He collapsed in bed in his boxers and pulled the covers over himself. His body was exhausted and he was dragged into fitful sleep. He awoke that morning in a pool of sweat, his heart racing, head pounding, and a silent scream on his lips. Muted light filtered in the windows and he guessed it was still early morning. He reluctantly peeled himself out of bed and sluggishly walked to the shower to clear his head. Nightmares were nothing new to him he was just grateful this one didn’t leave him in such a state he couldn’t function, paralyzed from fear.

  
After pulling on a shirt and heading into the kitchen to grab a snack, Keith stumbled in his uniform sloppily pulled on and hair a mess. He mumbled a greeting before moving to the fridge and grabbing a fruit that looked like a peach but was called a fireliw. Turned out it tasted more like an kiwi than anything.

  
“How long’s the shift today?”

  
“8 hours.”

  
He simply nodded and continued to eat whatever it was he had grabbed from the fridge. Galra names were hard enough to remember left alone say and he and the others ended up making up their own names anyway. Keith slowly moved to put on his shoes before silently leaving to start his shift. He had opted to take early morning hours to leave him the afternoon. However, he wasn’t a morning person by anyone’s standards. He was more of a night owl than Shiro was. The others would wake soon for their shifts and Shiro just seated himself on the couch as everyone woke up around him.

  
He waved them all off to work, and then the apartment was silent. He stood and moved back towards hiz room, hopefully to get some more sleep when a knock resounded on the door. Who could possibly be visiting them? Food wasn’t supposed to be dropped off for two more days, and they let themselves in when they were all out. He approached the door with caution and cracked open the door, he chain remaining fastened.

  
“Ulaz.”

  
The Galra simply nodded glancing quickly to each side. “May I please come in?"

  
“What for.”

  
“Please Shiro I need to come in. I’m not supposed to be here.”

  
He reluctantly unchained the door and opened it to let Ulaz pass, his head fitting easily in the Galra sized door frame. It was the only thing in the apartment made for someone of his size. He moved towards the window and faced Shiro who followed. All his anger from the night before came flaring back up and he had to hold himself from lashing out immediately.

  
“I apologize for coming at such a time, but I thought the others may be a bit startled to find a Galra at their door.” He looked down at the small furniture before clearing his throat. “I had hoped we could talk.”

  
Shiro remained silent for a moment, looking up at Ulaz’s eyes, which gave away nothing. His entire being told him to kick Ulaz out, but something about Ulaz made him pause.

  
“Sure.”

  
Ulaz let out a sigh and straightened up. “I apologize for my forward behavior the other evening. I realize now my actions may have caused you distress.” He bowed his head and looked at Shiro, his eyes almost expectant.

  
“I…”

  
“If you would have me leave you alone I will immediately leave, as much as it would pain me to go-“ Shiro raised a hand to stop him.  
“Was any of what you said truthful, was that whole forehead thing a lie? Did someone pay you to say those things, to do those things?” Ulaz responded with a distressed look, his eyes wide.

  
“I assure you that every action I made that night was truthful. My actions are my own.”

  
“What did I do to make you so hesitant to meet my eyes then?” Ulaz paused and thought before he responded.

  
“It was not your actions, it was mine. I initiated courtship and you responded and I assumed too much. I couldn’t expect you to understand Galra courtship. And for that I am was ashamed to meet your eyes. I didn’t want to force you into yet another thing without your consent. I will not take advantage of others like that."

“….Courtship? You were flirting or something with me?"

“I’m not familiar with this word, it doesn’t seem to translate. But, yes by responding to my actions, it is taken as a sign of acceptance of the courtship. It’s not legally binding I assure you but I should have not kissed you.”

  
Something else must have been missed in translation, but Shiro began to realize just how much of a difference there was between Ulaz’s concepts of ‘courtship’ and his own. That gentle bumping of foreheads must have been the Galra equivalent of kissing. And considering the fangs, human kissing would be unnatural for a Galra.

  
“You don’t need to respond to my courtship. It was foolish of me to even consider that you would respond to my affections in kind. We are barely even acquaintances and you are an alien to me as I am to you.”

  
“I…it’s a lot to take in Ulaz.” He felt like an ass as well, assuming Ulaz was only being paid to speak to him. His paranoia led him believe the first Galra to show him kindness and tenderness was only out to betray him. He couldn’t let himself push Ulaz away. “I wouldn’t mind starting as acquaintances.”

  
“Of course, I expected such an answer.” He looked a little crestfallen, but there was hope on his face. “I will let you be. Have a pleasant day.” Ulaz bowed his head once again and in long graceful strides he walked to the door and let himself out without a word.  
Shiro fell back on the couch and let out a breath, hands over his face. Everything he had guessed about Ulaz, everything he has known about his situation was wrong. This program, his mere presence on this planet was wrong, and Ulaz was to blame, but at the same time wasn’t. And Ulaz was interested in ‘courting’ him.

  
He was angry with Ulaz, angry with the Galra in general. They had come to his home planet and taken over industry after industry and on top of that they shuttled him here to work among coworkers who either hated him, feared him, or ignored him. Everyday was a struggle to get up, to go to work where he was going to be looked down upon by nearly every customer.

  
But he had met Thace. And Rhion. And Vex. He had the other humans, like Hunk and Pidge to be honest with him, Keith to be his support, and Lance to listen to him and distract him. He had made the best of his situation and it wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t home, but it was his life now. Ulaz was the wild card, his mind couldn’t wrap around what Ulaz was to him and why he cared so much.

 

* * *

 

“Thank you sir, have a nice day and come and see us again at Vrepit Sal’s.” By this point the phrase was muscle memory rather than conscious thought as he handed yet another customer their order. He let out a sigh and stretched his arms and leg, which were aching from standing all day and using the slicer.

  
“I’m taking my lunch!” He called out and headed towards the break room to find someone familiar standing his way.

  
“Shiro I was hoping we could talk some more. I would like to learn more about your Earth culture. There is so much I don’t know and our last talk has left me curious.” Ulaz stood by the employee break room door.

  
“Ulaz. It’s certainly nice to see you again. I’ll grab my lunch and meet you where we normally meet.” He climbed the stairs a small smile on his face.

  
He had given some thought to what Ulaz had revealed to him, and he decided he shouldn’t let his prejudice guide his decisions. He had many questions and it was hard to see Ulaz as something different than the aliens that had taken over his home world, but he realized his mistake. And he wanted to fix it. He didn’t know if he could return the romantic feelings that Ulaz held for him, but he something about Ulaz made him fell content and normal again. Ulaz seemed…more human than all the other Galra he had met, despite the claws, fang, and fur.

  
He was open and honest, his actions were genuine, and he seemed to carry others in high regard. He spoke with Shiro and listened to what he had to say, no matter how open Shiro was. He genuinely wanted to know about Shiro. He had been meeting with him during breaks a few times each week and they would swap questions and talk with each other. Shiro learned about the original intentions of Ulaz’s program and more about Galra culture. He had even been given a full lecture on the in and outs of Galra courting and the commotion about rejecting all those gifts made sense now.

  
Shiro returned and found Ulaz seated at a nearby table his claws anxiously tapping the table. Ulaz looked up and his face softened He gave Shiro a wide smile his fangs on full display. Such a smile on any other galra would be unnerving. He looked at Ulaz’s face and didn’t feel anything but fondness.

  
“I had a few questions about friendship and courtship among humans? How does one express the desire to start a friendship or courtship?”

  
“Well as friends, normally you spend time together or do activites you enjoy together. Like seeing a movie or something similar.”

  
“And for courtship and love?”

  
“Normally you begin by asking the other on a date.”

  
“A date?”

  
"You spend time together, just the two of you, and get to know more about each other. What makes it different is the feeling you hold for the other. When you look at them person, your heart races and you feel happy and content. You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than with that person.”

  
“So…is what we are doing now a date?”

  
Ulaz leaned forwards slightly in his seat, waiting for his answer.

  
“Yes, I guess this is a date.” In that moment something more sparked between them, Shiro finally beginning to realize what Ulaz was to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you ever so much for reading and sticking with me throughout all this. This story was a something I had been thinking about for months even before the GBB. I'm glad to see it come to life, even if the ending wasn't quite as planned. If i had more time i would have doubled the length of the story. I wanted to develop the relationship between Shiro and Ulaz, not just have them all the sudden be head over heels. Which in hindsight would have been easier, but I made it harder on myself and tried to portray that as best I could. Thank you again for reading and if you feel like it please leave kudos or a comment!


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